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E. R. PROBERT. RECORD CARD HOLDER FOR FREIGHT CARS AND OTHER PURPOSES.

APPUCA'HON FILED lULY 26. I915.

Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

5 FIG. 7

W/T/YFJJFJ UNITED STATES PATENT QFFTQE.

EDWIN R. PROBERT, OF GOVINGTON, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR TO THE MOESCHL- EDWARDS CORRUGATING COMPANY, OF COVINGTON, KENTUCKY, A CORPO- RATION OF KENTUCKY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

Application filed July 26, 1915. Serial No. 41,992.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN R. PROBERT, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Covington, in the county of Kenton and State of Kentucky, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Record-Card Holders for Freight- Cars and other Purposes, of which the fol lowing is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for conveniently holding and displaying routecards and the like for use more especially on railway freight-cars and, in fact, in places and positions wherever it is desirable to conveniently record and display transitory matter, and the object of the invention herein is to provide a holder base-plate or backing adapted to conveniently receive and support record-cards that can be readily removed therefrom or replaced, and, also, to provide a vertically-sliding plate or front cover in connection with said base or backing and adapted to conceal and protect the record-cards while in normal position thereon and readily raised by the person who wishes to make a record on the supported card, or to inspect or view the record already made thereon.

In routing railway freight-cars and the like, it is customary to tack the route-cards on the face of the car adjacent the doorways thereof, no protection to such routecards being afiorded against the elements, as well as against exposure to mutilation and destruction, thereby making it extremely inconvenient and annoying to forwarders of freight, including the common-carriers that.

are handling the freight to various points of destination.

My device herein is at once most useful to cover and protect the record-cards used in the freight service, and at the same time does not interfere with the ready work of the clerks or others employed in keeping and viewing the record made on said cards. One or more record-cards can be supplied in the device, ready for limited or extended trips of the cars and it is intended that the sliding plate or front cover shall drop into closing position automatically, by the gravity thereof, under ordinary circumstances, so that the user will not accidentally leave the record or route card open to damaging exposure, but such cover can, if desired, be

made to slide up and down with more or less friction to meet with certain emergencies or other conditions. i u

The details of structure will be hereinafter fully described and then more particularly set out in the claims.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved device showing it in normal, closed position on a fragment of the side of a freight-car, or other object to which it may be attached for convenient use; Fig. 2, a perspective view of the device, showing it as it appears with its vertically-sliding cover or closure-plate raised into its highest, open position, and thereby exposing the record or route card for use in making a record or in reading that which has already been made thereon; Fig. 3, a front elevation of the base or backing that supports on its face the record or route cards; Fig. 4, a rear elevation of the front cover or closure-plate, taken by itself; Fig. 5, a central vertical section of my device shown in normal or closed position on a fragment of a freight-car sidewall or other supporting-object; Fig. 6, a transverse section taken on the dotted-line a, a, of Fig. 1, but with the record or route cards and the car-wall omitted; and Fig. 7, a rear elevation of Fig. 1, but omitting the car-wall.

1 indicates the body-portion of the baseplate or backing, having shouldered rearextensions 2, 2 along its opposite vertical edges; and 3 are forwardly-folded edges along the said sides 2, 2, that are left open to form vertical guide-ways.

4c, 4 indicate rearwardly-extending, conical openings made in the base-plate or backing 1 to accommodate screws 5, or other similar fastening devices, for securing the backing in place on the face of a side-wall G of a freight-car, or of such other object on which the base-plate or backing is desired to be posted. These conical openings allow the heads of the screws or other fastening means to be driven up flush with the outer face of the base-plate so as not to interfere with the record-cards or the like 7, one or more of which latter is detachably-held in said base-plate by means of the up-turned lower edge or pocket 8 and the downwardlyturned upper edge or guard 9, such card or number of cards being readily placed within said lower pocket and upper guard by first inserting the lower edges of the cards in said pocket and then bulging the cards outwardly between ends so that their upper ends can be readily inserted beneath the lower edge of the upper guard and then sprung into place within said guard, whereby a fiat and substantial surface is provided for making records on one or all of the cards.

Side-guards 10, 10 are provided at' the opposite ends of the lower pocket 8, and sideguards 11, 11 are provided at the opposite ends of the upper guard 9, to prevent lateral movement of the cards in the base-plate 1.

The upper guard and its side-guards are formed in a plate that is suitably attached by spot welding, soldering, or the like to the face of the base-plate 1.

An inverted-U-shape plate 12 is inserted over the upper edge of the base-plate and has a lower, forwardly-extending flange or foot 13, the purpose of which will be hereinafter referred to. This plate 12 is preferably riveted at 14, 14, for firmly securing it in place at the upper end of said base-plate but it is obvious that it could be otherwise secured if desired.

15 indicates a front shield or closure plate for covering the record cards or sheets held by the base-plate 1. This covering shield or plate 15 is provided along its opposite vertical edges with shouldered, flanged extensions, 16, 16 that are adapted to engage the guide-ways provided along the opposite edges of the base-plate 1 by means of the forwardly-folded and suitably spaced members 3, 3.

17 indicates a rearwardly and downwardly extending flange or projection along the upper edge of the front-closure 15 to seat the latter when in its lowermost, protecting and closing position, and 18 indicates a forwardly-extending flange or foot provided along the lower edge of the said front-closure 15 for the purposes of a handle in manipulating the front-closure 15, in sliding it upwardly for exposing the record or route card to view and use and, also, in positively lowering said closure-plate immediately after a record or view is made. The lower flange 18 may extend entirely across the lower edge of the closure-plate 15, or it may be provided at the center thereof only, as desired.

A pin 19 is provided on the inner face of the closure-plate 15 at a point to limit the upward sliding-movement of said closureplate 15 and prevent its withdrawal, accidentally or without force, from connectedplace on the base-plate or backing 1. This pin contacts with the forwardly-projecting flange or foot 13 provided at the upper end of the said base-plate and is of sufficient length to engage said upper flange 13 on the base-plate but at the same time easily clears the face of the outer record-card when the shield or closure plate is reciprocated vertically and not allowed to mutilate said card.

The rear-extensions 2, 2 along the opposite vertical edges of the body-portion I serve to space said body-portion somewhat away from the outer face of the sidewall 6 of the freight-car to which my device is attached, whereby a clear passage is provided for the drainage of water or the like from above, the conical openings 4 and the screws 5 not interfering with such drainage, and the said conical openings serve as a barrier to prevent moisture entering the base-plate 1 from the rear to the backs of the route cards held by said base-plate.

It is obvious that I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact structure herein shown and described, as the front-closure may be otherwise slidinglyconnected with another form of base-plate and the latter provided with different forms of fastening devices or clips for holding the route or record cards in place for use thereon.

It is obvious that my device can be used sidewise as well as vertically, but in that event the closure-plate could not ordinarily be made to automatically close by gravity after a record has been made, which is an important feature in connection with the vertically-sliding closure-plate that immediately closes and covers the record-card when the user or clerk is through making his record.

The rearwardly and downwardly extending flange or projection 17 along the upper edge of the front-closure 15 forms a watershed above the records or sheets.

I claim 1. A record-sheet holder for use on freight-cars or the like, comprising a baseplate having longitudinal, rearwardly-disposed, spacing-extensions and adapted to be secured in position on the face of the car or other supporting-object, pockets for removably-holding one or more record-sheets on the face of said base-plate, guide-ways along said spacing-extensions, and a front closure-plate adapted to slidingly-engage the said guideways for the protection of said record-sheets.

2. A route-card or record-sheet holder or tablet comprising a backing or baseplate having guide-ways along its opposite vertical edges and adapted to be secured in place for use on a freight-car or other supportingobject, a lower card or sheet pocket having side-guards, an upper card or sheet pocket having side-guards, an upper, forwardlyprojecting flange on the base-plate, a front covering or closure plate having flanged extensions along its opposite vertical edges adapted to slidingly-engage the said guidethe base-plate when the device is open for ways on the base-plate, an inwardly-turned making a record or viewing that already 10 stop and covering-flange on the upper edge made on the said cards or sheets.

of the closure-plate adapted to engage the upper edge of the base-plate when the de- EDWIN PROBERT' vice is closed, and an inwardly-disposed pro- Witnesses:

jection on the inner face of the closure-plate JOHN ELIAS JONES,

adapted to engage the said upper flange on WILLIAM SGHUCHARDT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

